If you've ever used an at-home genetic test, there is a chance your information is not as protected as you think it is. This week, California State Senator Tom Umberg introduced legislation to regulate the sharing of specimens collected through DNA analysis.
"What consumers don't know is the recipient of the specimen, those doing the analysis, may provide that to other entities," Umberg told Cheddar Friday. He said the new legislation will protect consumers and provide them the opportunity to make their own decisions about their data.
Illinois and New York have similar laws on the books. Illinois at the start of 2020 expanded protections for users of genetic testing kits like 23andMe and Ancestry.com
One of the concerns around the sharing of genetic testing is the disclosure of information that may have "health implications and insurance implications and maybe even employment implications," Umberg said. Tests can reveal a predisposition to a disease, information that, if sold to an entity like an insurance company, may affect the user beyond simply taking a test.
He said he became more concerned after the Department of Defense warned personnel not to use home DNA tests.
"If it's affecting national defense, I think consumers should know what's what that information is being used for," the legislator and retired U.S. Army colonel said.
The legislation Umberg introduced, California Senate Bill 980, provides for users to opt-in to letting companies pass on their information to third parties, like if the company offers some kind of compensation.
A big-screen adaptation of the anime “Chainsaw Man” has topped the North American box office, beating a Springsteen biopic and “Black Phone 2.” The movie earned $17.25 million in the U.S. and Canada this weekend. “Black Phone 2” fell to second place with $13 million. Two new releases, the rom-com “Regretting You” and “Springsteen — Deliver Me From Nowhere,” earned $12.85 million and $9.1 million, respectively. “Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc” is based on the manga series about a demon hunter. It's another win for Sony-owned Crunchyroll, which also released a “Demon Slayer” film last month that debuted to a record $70 million.
The Federal Aviation Administration says flights departing for Los Angeles International Airport were halted briefly due to a staffing shortage at a Southern California air traffic facility. The FAA issued a temporary ground stop at one of the world’s busiest airports on Sunday morning soon after U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy predicted that travelers would see more flights delayed as the nation’s air traffic controllers work without pay during the federal government shutdown. The hold on planes taking off for LAX lasted an hour and 45 minutes and didn't appear to cause continued problems. The FAA said staffing shortages also delayed planes headed to Washington, Chicago and Newark, New Jersey on Sunday.
Boeing workers at three Midwest plants where military aircraft and weapons are developed have voted to reject the company’s latest contract offer and to continue a strike that started almost three months ago. The strike by about 3,200 machinists at the plants in the Missouri cities of St. Louis and St. Charles, and in Mascoutah, Illinois, is smaller in scale than a walkout last year by 33,000 Boeing workers who assemble commercial jetliners. The president of the International Association of Machinists says Sunday's outcome shows Boeing hasn't adequately addressed wages and retirement benefits. Boeing says Sunday's vote was close with 51% of union members opposing the revised offer.
